QuoteReplyTopic: Is the place of worship important for Sunday Servi Posted: 07 August 2010 at 10:00pm

I
would like to know whether the place where we gather for Sunday service
has any importance. One of the local assemblies used to gather at a
house for worship and as time moved on they decided to rent a public
place for gathering. Finally they found a place but it happened to be
owned by Seventh Day Adventist group.

I
would really like to know your thoughts whether this is unscriptural/undoctrinal to
gather at such a place for worship

As per my personal opinion there is no harm in gathering for spiritual gathering in a room owned by a non believer.

In the case you have stated, there can be no assemblies in the Middle East countries , where the hierachy has allowed to use thier land for constructing or either to own thier buildings to gather for worship or other spiritual gatherings. But let us make sure that where we gather, the presence of God is there, we are holy and keep the place holy when we gather.

The place of worship could be any place.In the case of question regarding a place own by SDA, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, etc., we should use care and concern.We are told not to receive those who deny the deity of Lord Jesus Christ (2 John), into our houses.The appearance of compromise on the deity of Christ is to be avoided.

If we buy a property, including building, then they do not have any more influence over us in using the place.On the other hand, if we use their place rented or shared, then there may be some appearance of inappropriate compromise on doctrinal matters.We should look for another place.That is why the Christians, in the first few centuries, met in catacombs.

We should not be influenced by those who deny the deity of Christ, when they say that they share the building, elsewhere.They are not our standard. What they do is not the basis for our conduct before God and man.The governing principles of our faith and conduct come from the inspired Scriptures, the Word of God.The current question on this thread is about our conduct in this world.

In the Middle East, if the government owns and asks us to meet at different times at the same place, then it is by an edict from the government and not from our decision.We should not compromise on the doctrine of the eternal sonship and the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ to this world.

When we are renting their place for our meetings, we are agreeing to abide by their terms and conditions. Therefore, we are compromising on the New Testament doctrines and they have the upperhand on how we should use the place. Remember that they deny the deity of Christ, as taught in the Bible.

When we agree to share their place along with them, then we are showing the world that we have no difference except meeting at a different time. We also tell the world that both groups, we and them, have the same standing before God, in worshipping God. It is their place.

If we buy their place, then we are showing that they have no right to the place after the sale is completed. We tell the world that we have changed the function of the place to be in conformance with the New Testament principles with full submission to the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Savior, Lord, and God.

It is true that the originator of this thread did not mention about compromising. The compromising of doctrines is the result of the action taken by us. The originator placed the question and I placed the ramification of the action that we should consider before we rent or share their place.

Hope you have seen the replies of your querry, please do provide some more details to justify the situation, was there any compromise of the word of God in this deal, has the diety of Jesus Christ compromised while making an agreement to rent the particular room, or it has been not informed to the owner that a christian gathering will take place while renting the room.

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